Monday, December 31, 2007

With the success of National Treasure 2 at the box office I have had several requests for National Treasure paraphernalia. So, I scoured the web for whatever I could find, and quite honestly there isn't a whole lot. But here are a few things of interest. Let me know if you find anything else!

Friday, December 28, 2007

Are you planning a Disney Cruise? Or are you just trying to figure out whether or not you should take one? Just check out Disney's free DVD and e-brochure to help you decide. These are full of information and great ideas.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) can potentially be a great opportunity to save on Disney themed and other vacations. The following is a little information to introduce you to it:

What is the DVC?

The Disney Vacation Club is a time-share program. The program is based on a points system, which you can use at Disney resorts, the Disney cruise line, the DVC, and more.

According to MouseSavers.com it is most cost effective to only use the points for Walt Disney World Resort & to stay at a DVC resort at least every other year.

Where can I go with the DVC?

Right now resorts are located at Walt Disney World, Vero Beach, Florida, and Hilton Head, South Carolina. In 2009 there will be a resort at Disneyland in California, and in 2011 in Oahu, Hawaii.

The Walt Disney World DVC has six resorts. They are studios, 1 and 2 bedroom villas, and 3 bedroom grand villas. All of these rooms are nicer than their regular hotel equivalents, often with kitchens, living rooms, whirlpool tubs and more.

Why join?

One benefit is the discount savings on annual passes (CLICK HERE for details).

Many join the DVC to be sure and have the resort space they want every year for consistent vacation planning. If you have the resources to pay the dues and up-front investment costs, it seems to me you are mostly buying convenience.

Other benefits include you don't pay extra for having more than one person stay in a room, you qualify for other discounts such as restaurants, and you may be able to deduct the property tax portion of your dues.

Is it Worth It?

That is somewhat of a subjective question. From a strictly cost perspective the people at MouseSavers.com have put together the math for us to show when it is and is not worth it to join.

You vacation for 10 nights every year in a Deluxe resort or DVC studio at full "rack rates." In this scenario, you'll start saving money after 9 years or less of DVC ownership. In fact, if this is your vacation style, DVC is still a good deal even if you would only stay those 10 nights in a DVC resort every other year and throw away 50% of your points (though it will take longer to break even -- about 19 years).

You stay 10 nights at a Deluxe resort each year, with a 30% discount (approx. 15 years to break even).

You vacation for 10 nights each year at a Moderate resort, paying full "rack rates" (approx. 20 years to break even).

You rent 150 points from a DVC owner each year, starting at $10 a point, for at least the next 25 years.

DVC purchase is not cost-effective in the following scenarios:

You vacation 7 nights per year at a Moderate resort, paying full "rack rates."

You vacation 10 nights per year at a Moderate resort, with a 35% discount.

You rent 150 points per year from a DVC owner, starting at $10 a point, but you only do this 2 years out of every 3.

So, according to MouseSavers.com your are a good candidate for DVC membership if (again, straight from their article):

You have the cash in hand to pay all of the upfront costs of membership without borrowing.

The cost of dues does not appear to present a financial hardship based on your current expectations.

You vacation at Walt Disney World frequently: ideally at least once every two years.

You plan to continue staying at Disney World far enough into the future to make the membership at least break even.

You prefer to stay in Deluxe or DVC accommodations and/or you stay a long time (10 days or more per year).

You are able to plan your vacations well in advance -- ideally 7 to 11 months out.

How do I Sign Up?

The best idea is to buy through a referral, as your referrer will basically get enough points for a free vacation.

Otherwise you can search Google, or check out DVCNews.com for news and purchase information.

Again, if you are considering signing up for the Disney Vacation Club, I STRONGLY recommend checking out the MouseSavers.com article (CLICK HERE).

Disneyland designed a program to allow park-visitors to go back into the park for an hour to have some time to shop for things they "forgot" to buy. (This is only at Disneyland in California)

Just go to the Guest Services Windows near the main entrance where you will make a deposit on your credit card for a whole day's ticket, and just be sure to return before your specific time and they will return your deposit.

Only one person in your party is allowed to do this, and they are really strict. Also, this doesn't always work if you haven't gone to the park with a regular ticket in the near past and can prove it with a receipt--sometimes they ask to see it, sometimes they don't.

If you've ever just wanted to have a Disney themed day and not wanted to pay for a ticket, here are three suggestions to create your own Disney Day and not have to spend a dime (except maybe for parking):

1) Downtown DisneyThis is a great place to shop and eat, or just walk around and enjoy Disney Themed atmosphere. If you have kids, you have to try out the Lego Imagination Center where they can play with thousands of Legos in their play area. And the Lego sculptures are really cool too.

The interactive fountains are a lot of fun, as well as all the shops and restaurants. In the evenings you can walk around Downtown Disney Pleasure Island for free, though you still have to pay for admission to nightclubs and such.

Still, there is plenty to do here for free, and they also have great special events and themes all the time. CLICK HERE for more info.

Disney's Boardwalk is a LOT of fun, and is built on a lake like old Coney Island. There are always street entertainers and vendors. The Atlantic Dance Hall is a lot of fun (no cover charge) as is Jellyroll's - a small dueling pianos bar (small cover charge). There is a lot of atmosphere here to enjoy, and if you want to spend a little bit of money you can enjoy some great old fashioned carnival games.

Celebration is about a 10 to 15 minute drive from Walt Disney World, and is a community planned by the Walt Disney corporation. There is a great atmosphere here, especially if you go shopping down Market Street. Right now is the perfect time to go as they have tons of holiday events scheduled, particularly the visit from Santa and the snow on Market Street every evening.

Other popular activities include picnics, carriage-ride tours, hotel tours, model home tours, bicycle rentals, and much more. The AMC Celebration is also a great place to watch a movie. Also, you have to check out the nature trails and walks at the Lakeside Promenade.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Early this summer when I was visiting London my friends and I came upon a large group of people, cameras, and priests at St. Paul's cathedral. After a little bit of confusion we realized we were watching the filming of National Treasure 2.

So, here is the preview for the film, and a few shots I took of production. This looks like a lot of fun.

If you're looking for a great discount on Walt Disney World tickets there is really only one place to go. (There will be an entry coming soon to describe other discount strategies, but this is the best one).

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Have you seen these? You can customize maps from Walt Disney World resort and have them sent to you all for free. They are really good quality, and can be a great way to highlight your favorite things about the park, or just put a Disney Map on your wall. Here's what you get:

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

So, you're thinking about taking a Disney cruise on the Disney cruise line? Great idea! I highly recommend this form of travel. You will be surprised by how much money you can actually save versus a regular vacation, and you and your spouse can get time to yourself while the kids are endlessly entertained. There really is something for everything.

This is a guide to help you get started, and give you some tips on how to save money and have the most enjoyable experience possible. I would like this guide to be as brief and intuitive as possible, as in my experience most people posting advice on the web simply give way to much of it. So here are some general tips:

1) Plan ahead!

This is the most important part of saving money. If you plan far enough in advance you will find that there are loads of dates during off-peak season where you can save a lot of money. At Disney Main Street we keep an updated list of all of the Magical Rates Disney cruises. Check in frequently to see the best upcoming deals.

By using a Disney Specialist travel agent you can keep up to date on upcoming deals and often get rebates of up to $200 off already discounted prices. Make sure you don't go to just any Disney travel agent, go to a Disney Specialist. They are the only ones who have actually gone on these cruises and will be loaded with the best advice. For a great agent try out Small World Vacations (CLICK HERE).

Want to save money on a complete Disney vacation? With Disney's Land and Sea Vacation package you can actually spend the first few days at Walt Disney World and then wind down with the last few days on a cruise. This is a great way to travel, though if you have never been on a cruise before you may want to just take the cruise first. This way you don't spend the Disney World portion of your vacation nervous about the cruise.4) Do your on-board activities planning before you leave

Disney cruise line offers online options where you can book all of your on-board activities before you board. So things like Palo (the adults-only restaurant), excursion, the spa, Disney Kid's club, can all be secured and reserved in advance. CLICK HERE for more information.

5) Secret Porthole Staterooms

Here's a great little secret: if you want an outside room (ocean view) for inside view prices check out Secret Porthole Staterooms. They are sold as category 10 rooms (inside) but actually have a view (for more information on categories CLICK HERE).

A note about these: the view is often not that great depending on how much equipment is obstructing the port hole. Also, sometimes they are directly underneath the night club or restaurant leading to some unwanted noise. There is also the possibility of having a light on all night outside the porthole, so you will want to close the curtain really tight. On the flip side, there is little foot traffic in this areas so less extra noise, and they are also located near all of the kids' activities.

Ask your travel agent about these, or ask for cabins 5020, 5520, 5022 and 5024 (connected), 5522 and 5524 (connected). Book well in advance as these tend to go quick!

6) Saving money with larger families

If you want to save some money and have a family of four or five, don't get the "Deluxe Family Stateroom" (which will undoubtedly be suggested to you). Get two category 9 or 10 rooms that connect. This will save you A LOT of money.